


intensity

by anon_drabble



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Love at First Sight, Short, The Chantry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-24 15:43:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14358552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anon_drabble/pseuds/anon_drabble
Summary: i have a lot of love for cassandra even tho a lot of people don’t like her. so my next inquisitor is going to be all cass all the time. now going to be adding chapters of their relationship. mostly fluff probably.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted to my tumblr https://anon-drabble.tumblr.com

What an intense woman! She was brusque, loud, and wow was she angry. Maybe because it was their first meeting, he shouldn’t have been looking at her in such a way. She was trying to imprison him or kill him, after all. He couldn’t be sure. To be honest, she was yelling a lot and he was preoccupied. 

But wasn’t that true love? Everything going wrong and he was still viewing her like some goddess. She obviously didn’t like that. With an easy grunt, she kicked him to his feet. He didn’t really want to take his eyes off her but the sky was ripping apart. Maybe it wasn’t the best time to be making moon eyes at a woman. 

Moon eyes. It was an expression he’d heard from the older community and he understood it but assumed it was an exaggeration or just a saying. Until it happened to him. 

He wasn’t just some romantic. He didn’t go around writing poetry. Before this, he’d vowed to give his life to the Maker. Like a Chantry sister. Abstinence, poverty, all of that. It couldn’t be official as he wasn’t a Sister and couldn’t be one but he was happy with leading his life that way. 

With the sky raining destruction, his life took a different turn. It wasn’t all because of the woman. The phrase of knowing something like the back of your hand? It no longer applied to him as there was something decidedly different taking up residence in his palm. He wasn’t aware he’d been taking applications for renting his hand out. It was a violation of such extreme measure, he couldn’t do much but laugh. 

Oh, that woman did not like that. 

“You find this funny?” she spat at him as he mirthlessly chuckled at…well...everything. 

“No. But yes. Sometimes things are so absurd, what else is there to do?” he replied, taking another kick to keep him moving. He caught a small grin from the hooded woman. She understood what he meant but she didn’t stop her…friend. Which was fine with him. 

Eventually, their journey seemed to end. Now with a dwarf and an elf but wasn’t that how journeys went? He did wonder what would happen to him. Was it too soon to tell her he loved her? They could die. 

His hand had a mind of its own as the Rift began to close. She was engaged with some creature from the Fade. The elf was telling him what to do. It was chaos. 

“I love you!’ he screamed at the top of his lungs. 

“Close it!” she screamed, seemingly oblivious. 

“Move closer and hold your hand higher!” the elf offered. 

“Out of the way, Chuckles!” came from the dwarf. 

And like that, the sky closed. A little. There was talk of imprisoning him. They thought he caused it as he had closed it. He didn’t necessarily want to be imprisoned. Some had said that’s what he’d been doing by giving his life to the Chantry but this was the proper kind of imprisonment. Behind bars and not voluntarily. 

But then there was the offer to help them. To continue closing those sky tears. Do good, help people. Save the world. But most importantly, he’d be working with…her. 

“Yes! I’ll do it!” Maybe he was too excited but they seemed to accept his response. His life after that would quickly change many times over. It would not be easy. Many times he’d make decisions no one man should have to. He’d see death. He’d give death. But there was a prize. 

Cassandra, he learned, was her name.


	2. prayers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part 2 of my male inquisitor and cassandra. i have more planned so i guess these will all be chapters here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted on my tumblr https://anon-drabble.tumblr.com

Magic whizzed past, and Maxwell answered by casting the quickest Barrier spell of his life. It was for naught, unfortunately, as the target, a dwarf named Varric, retreated into stealth and stepped away. Still, hopefully the thought counted. Cassandra was on the front lines, keeping most of the enemies busy. They had surprised some enemy mages in their exploration and mages were not typically the ones you wanted to surprise. Surprised mages usually meant fireballs aimed in any direction. Maxwell would know.

Cassandra was the one with real military experience in their group. Varric had certainly been in many fights but from how he told the tale, the last battle of Kirkwall was anything but organized. The other member of their party was Solas, an elven mage. He usually stayed towards the back. Varric chose to go at the sides. And Maxwell was usually caught in the middle. He had a bad habit of following Cassandra too closely and not thinking strategically. They'd only met a short time ago but Maxwell had been trying to get to know Cassandra since. Varric had warned him against that. Varric had plenty of....colorful things to say about Cassandra. And maybe she was a bit gruff at first. That didn't deter him. She was still the most beautiful woman he'd seen. And after seeing Haven and the sort of organization Cassandra had helped form, he was more smitten than ever. Mostly, Cassandra had little time for him but she was frequently training and with Cullen.

Maxwell was learning, though. He was entirely un-introduced to the world he now found himself in. He had no military training and the most strategy he'd ever known was losing a game of chess against a Tranquil. But Maxwell listened and took any advice to heart. He was trying.

So while Maxwell was caught in the middle, he wasn't in much danger. The enemy mage was quickly neutralized by Solas so Maxwell turned his magic bolts to the mercenary warrior engaging Cassandra. Her guard was nearly impenetrable but the battle had worn on thanks to the nuisance of a pair of rogues. They had fallen but everyone found themselves running dry. Maxwell saw the arrow scream towards Cassandra as she felled the warrior. He tried to deflect and yelled to Varric to take the archer down. Solas and Varric quickly made it so the archer would never fire another arrow but he'd already made the shot that mattered.

She almost managed to dodge. She'd kept the arrow from hitting any vital body parts. But it had found a mark in Cassandra's leg.

"Cassandra, hold on, I'm coming!" Maxwell ran toward her, using the last of his magic to ready a healing spell.

"No!" she cried, just as he was about to cast it.

He reached her side but fumbled to cancel the spell. A look of confusion crossed his face but he said nothing. Instead, he pulled out bandages and a poultice. They patched Cassandra up before reaching camp for the night. At camp, they were called back to Haven so there was little rest to be had.

The meeting at Haven left Maxwell exhausted. They were already discussing strategy and throwing around names of various important people to impress but Maxwell had no mind for politics. He tried to keep up but he was lost. Afterwards, he retreated to his favorite spot in Haven. It was still in the Chantry but downstairs, they had a smaller room for private prayers. It wasn't being used much now that the Inquisition had arrived. But Maxwell went when he could slip away, preferably without anyone noticing. Which was getting harder to do as he was gaining popularity as the Herald.

Maxwell was praying, reciting the lines he knew better than anything else. He couldn't say if it was truly Andraste guiding him but he certainly believed there was a reason he had the mark on his hand. And if it was not the Maker's doing, he didn't want to know. He heard footsteps approaching but continued his prayer. Whoever it was would wait. His eyes were closed in prayer but he felt a presence kneel near him and soon heard a voice join the prayer. Together, they finished reciting. Maxwell opened his eyes to see Cassandra next to him.

"Why do you not use the altar upstairs?" she asked.

He smiled sheepishly. "People interrupt me up there. They call me the Herald of Andraste but they won't let me beseech Her guidance. So I found this room."

Cassandra seemed troubled by that. "Belief is important to someone in your position. They should respect that," she grumbled.

Maxwell smiled at her sudden cranky demeanor. "I can pray anywhere. I just prefer the formal setting." Cassandra was kind but had problems expressing it. At least, that's the way she seemed to him. When she frowned, it was usually from expressing something she hadn't meant to. It was just another endearing quality. Maxwell met her eyes. "Was I needed again? Was someone looking for me?" he asked.

"No, no one needed you," she replied but quickly frowned at her words. That wasn't what she meant to say but Maxwell could tell and simply waited. She blinked slowly to reset her tongue to try to say what she meant. "No. I was looking for you. You tried to heal me with a spell. When I told you to stop, you did. It was curious."

Maxwell watched Cassandra. He wasn't quite sure what she was trying to say. Of course he'd stopped. "You asked me to. So I stopped."

"But why waste supplies on my wound instead of using your magic?" she pressed.

Ah. Now he understood more. "You asked me not to heal you with magic," he repeated. "I know I used supplies when perhaps I didn't need to. But if someone doesn't want magic used on them, I'd prefer to honor that request. It's not my business to force magic on anyone and I'd rather not make someone unhappy that way if I can avoid it. Maybe I won't always be able to prioritize someone's wishes like that but when I can, it's important to me."

Cassandra still had a frown on her face but she nodded. "... Thank you for respecting that," she murmured, a bit embarrassed. She excused herself quickly and left. She felt her cheeks grow hot. This man knew nothing of leading nor fighting but his compassion was perhaps greater than the entirety of the Breach. What, exactly, had she done by bringing him in to what could easily become a war?

Maxwell didn't entertain such heavy thoughts as he watched her leave. He just wanted to sit and sigh at how lovely she was. He believed she understood his reasons but there was no saying if she found them disappointing in any way. But he believed he was a step closer to a friendship with Cassandra.


	3. hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> battles get worse but they get closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally posted to my tumblr https://anon-drabble.tumblr.com

It had been a hard month. Had it only been a month? He honestly couldn’t tell anymore. It was getting harder every day and he could barely keep up. He still prayed whenever he could but it was nearly impossible to find time alone anymore. Except in the middle of the night. Maxwell was fairly personable and had befriended several scouts and guards around Haven. Those that worked at night gave him the time and space to be alone with his thoughts. He probably should have used the time to rest but he found himself needing private time much more frequently. 

The fighting was escalating. Everything was escalating. He couldn’t keep up. He was a Circle mage. What did he know of wars, of foreign conflicts, of anything, really? He had never excelled at anything in his life now he was supposed to lead. He had to make decisions and usually make them without knowing all the facts. And, as today had shown, he had to decide the fate of someone’s life. 

It hadn’t really been a conscious decision. In fact, he hadn’t made any decision at all and it proved the end of a young man’s life. Maxwell had seen death now. He had probably been responsible for deaths. But this one stayed with him. The young man had been innocent, out looking for the mother of his wife. Maxwell had seen the mercenaries but he thought they’d leave the man alone. He wore no colors, showed no allegiance to the templars, mages, or Inquisition. He’d be fine. But he hadn’t been. Now he would never return home. And the mother-in-law? Who knows where she was. Would they find her corpse later? 

Upon returning to Haven, Maxwell escaped quickly. He hid for the day, even from Cassandra. Leliana’s scouts likely knew precisely where he was but she thankfully left him alone as well. As the stars came out, Maxwell ventured out. To a roof he preferred at night. He could look out over the valley, feel the wind, see the stars, and refresh himself. Except for that night where the view did little for him. He buried his face in his hands and sat. 

Cassandra had been watching the Herald. Ever since he’d refused to use magic on her, she found herself almost studying him. He was an odd sort. He didn’t seem to know much of etiquette or how to display proper respect to certain people. But then, neither did Cassandra. He wasn’t a fighter. He could use magic and was getting better at it daily. But she found it most interesting to see him win almost everyone over. Varric was easy. But even Solas seemed to approve of the man, perhaps because they shared magic and Maxwell had showed interest in Solas’ study of the Fade. But then Josephine, Cullen, and Leliana, too. He was simple in many way but perhaps that’s what they liked about him. He was popular in a very short amount of time. People did not always approve of the Inquisition but upon meeting him, many liked him. The biggest complaint was his ties to the Chantry. Many mages still blamed the Chantry for the circles and so they disliked his ties to religion. But even then, they still usually liked him, and just asked he not think solely of his beliefs. And usually he listened and took their advice, though his beliefs did much to shape his behavior. 

Cassandra had watched all of this unfold before her eyes. Even she had begun to think perhaps she could be friends with Maxwell. But today had been difficult. He had never simply run and hid from his responsibilities before. Because it had never happened, they had been able to cover for him. But Cassandra could not find him all day. He wasn’t praying at the Chantry, and she’d gone to the outskirts of Haven in search of him. There had been no sign. Until night fell and most everyone else was turning in. She saw a figure slip past a patrolling guard with a simple nod. She followed, at first sensing danger. But she saw the shape climb to the roof with little grace and by his form, she had found Maxwell. She didn’t necessarily want to bother him when there was no official business but she saw him lower his head. She climbed to join him on the roof. 

He heard someone joining him on the roof. He lifted his head. “I thought, surely, most would be asleep by now,” he said, assuming it was Leliana or perhaps even Varric. But as he looked, he saw Cassandra and was clearly surprised. 

“It is not official business,” she said, once again not expressing what she truly wanted to say. 

Maxwell blinked a few times and chuckled softly. “I did not think it was. You’re here to reprimand me for not attending the meeting and addressing our newest issues, maybe? I understand. I apologize for that.” He sounded light-hearted but it wasn’t natural. Cassandra knew the signs of someone hiding what they wanted to say.

“I am not here for that. You were never trained. You were at Ostwick but sheltered in the circle there. That is what we know of you before the Breach opened. Today was...unfortunate. You are mourning the death.” 

Maxwell lowered his head, letting his mask fall and the heavy expression was clear to see. “I thought we were saving him by doing nothing,” he murmured. “How many deaths like that have I caused? How many more will come to pass? If I am truly the Herald of Andraste, why am I making these mistakes?”

“You are doubting that you are Andraste’s Herald?” Cassandra asked, caught off-guard by his admission. 

“How can I not? I’m not holy. I believe but I am not on the level of Andraste. I am going to make mistakes. People will die. I don’t think any of my actions can be justified.” 

Clearly Cassandra made a mistake. This was quickly more than she had anticipated. She was not the most empathetic and could never express herself properly and now he was in a crisis of faith and asking her? “Surely Andraste made mistakes. I believe you are the Herald, not the Maker. We all make mistakes. Bringing Varric was a mistake,” she grumbled under her breath, which caused Maxwell to chuckle softly. “There is much to do. You agreed to all of it.” Neither of them said anything for a moment. Cassandra wasn’t trying to lecture him but she suspected he wished her gone. She clicked her tongue in disapproval (of herself) softly. “We all have days like this. I may break many training dummies in my worst moods. What do you need?” she asked, trying to be as gentle as she could.   
Maxwell smiled, though his eyes were still conflicted. He reached and took Cassandra’s hand in the darkness. He held it gently and focused his gaze on the landscape in front of them. “I appreciate your company. If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay here for a while. Later perhaps you can pray with me for that man.”

Cassandra wanted to shift, to take her hand back. He wasn’t holding tightly enough to stop her. She could easily remove her hand from his. He was asking the wrong person for comfort, she felt. But if all he needed was her hand, silence, and later a prayer, she could provide that. 

It wasn’t how she would cope with a difficult situation but they were very different. This didn’t seem like a friendship to her but perhaps that’s not what he needed. He rarely asked for much. This time, he needed help. He asked for someone to sit near him so he wasn’t alone. And if he needed her hand to know that, she could do that. At least for the time being. Someday, he might not need her. But until that time...

She could remind him he wasn’t alone. She could do that much. She could hold his hand.


End file.
